IT was a hi-de-hi-de-happy birthday for one of the borough’s best-loved theatres on Sunday with sitcom actress Su Pollard on hand to cut the cake.

The Upstairs At The Gatehouse theatre in Highgate village turned 19 years old at a party held after the matinee performance of its five-star production of Anything Goes.

John and Katie Plews, the husband-and-wife team who set the theatre up, thanked regulars for helping keeping it among London’s top venues.

“Without your help, we couldn’t do what we do,” said Mr Plews. “We couldn’t play to an empty theatre. People keep coming back and we are grateful for all the support.”

The theatre, above the Gatehouse pub, had been a cinema and music venue in the past but was a forgotten storage area when the couple brought it back to life in the 1990s.

Every year the theatre hands out a HUGO – it stands for “Highgate Upstairs at the Gatehouse Oscar” – award to somebody who has helped with the playhouse’s success. This year, the glass gong went to producer Katy Lipson, who was thanked for the quality of shows she has brought to the theatre. She returns with That’s Jewish Entertainment next month.

Ms Pollard, who starred in Hi-De-Hi! and You Rang M’Lord?, said: “Theatres like this are special. They bring people to see fantastic shows and fantastic casts.”